Miss Laura Hunt

Lake systems in Africa provide water to some of Earth’s fastest growing and most vulnerable human populations, but are under threat from climate change and other anthropogenic pressures. My research aims to understand the past changes in hydrology and water balance of Ugandan crater lakes over the past 2000 years, and the implications of this for future climate scenarios. Stable isotope analysis of lake sediments, environmental monitoring and hydrological mass balance modelling will build a picture of past hydrological variability of the crater lake system and its response to environmental and human pressures. This regional climate information will allow the for the down-scaling of global climate models in order to understand how the lakes may respond to projected future change, aiding policy makers in managing the region and developing sustainable water resources.